Just Label It News Roundup 12-21

For more than six years, Just Label It has advocated for consumers across the country in support of one basic principle: All Americans have the right to know if their food is genetically engineered, regardless of where they live and what technology they have. Yesterday, the Department of Agriculture released a final rule to implement the mandatory GMO disclosure law, passed in 2016. Read a statement from Gary Hirshberg, chairman of the Just Label It campaign. The final GMO labeling rule does not require labeling of highly refined ingredients from genetically modified, or GM crops, if no modified genetic material is detectable. Also in the news, over 9,000 plaintiffs have filed suit against the maker of herbicide Roundup over allegations the product caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In Crystal River Florida, city employees proposed to discontinue using glyphosate herbicides on public parks, playgrounds and beaches. In Aug. 2018, a jury in San Francisco unanimously found that Monsanto had failed to warn of the carcinogenic dangers of its popular Roundup herbicide and related products, which groundskeeper and terminal cancer patent Dewayne Johnson sprayed regularly. Thousands of other cancer victims are also suing Monsanto and awaiting their own day in court, but Johnson was the first to take the company to trial. The jury awarded Johnson a jaw-dropping $289 million, which a judge slashed to $78 million on Oct. 22. The Macron Government in France is offering its farmers a way out of glyphosate dependency within the next 3 years. Food Sustainability Index has named France the most sustainable county in the world when it comes to food, thanks to the country’s ardent fighting of food waste, an acceptance and adherence of healthy lifestyles and their approach to sustainable agriculture. A southeastern Missouri cotton and soybean farmer has the distinction of being the first person in the United States to face federal charges over alleged dicamba misuse. In agricultural news, forty acres of farm land in America is lost to development every hour and there’s a movement afoot to convert conservation land trusts into new farmer incubators. In many parts of the U.S. consumers can’t even get access to fresh food locally. And finally, the ride-hailing app Lyft is helping low-income families get access to food.

In Aug. 2018, a jury in San Francisco unanimously found that Monsanto had failed to warn of the carcinogenic dangers of its popular Roundup herbicide and related products, which Johnson sprayed regularly. Thousands of other cancer victims are also suing Monsanto and awaiting their own day in court, but Johnson was the first to take the company to trial. The jury awarded Johnson a jaw-dropping $289 million, which a judge slashed to $78 million on Oct. 22.

For more than six years, Just Label It has advocated for consumers across the country in support of one basic principle: All Americans have the right to know if their food is genetically engineered, regardless of where they live and what technology they have. Yesterday, the Department of Agriculture released a final rule to implement the mandatory GMO disclosure law, passed in 2016. Read a statement from Gary Hirshberg, chairman of the Just Label It campaign.

In its final GMO labeling rule the USDA says it will not mandate the labeling of highly refined ingredients from GM crops if no ‘modified genetic material’ is detectable, but it will allow manufacturers to make voluntary disclosures on such products in the interests of transparency.

A growing number of honey bees die each year due to pesticides, vanishing habitats, poor nutrition, and climate change, with potentially disastrous consequences for agriculture and natural diversity. Now, scientists at the University of Helsinki have developed the first edible vaccine against microbial infections, hoping to save at least some of the pollinators. The first vaccine inoculates bees against American foulbrood, a globally spread disease that can kill entire colonies and whose spores can remain viable for more than 50 years. The technology may in future be used to combat fungal diseases and other bacterial infections.

Crystal River staff recently proposed city employees discontinue using glyphosate herbicides on public parks, playgrounds and beaches. Instead, the city is testing out a more natural herbicide concoction and is looking at hiring a seasonal worker next year to help alleviate the burden of hand-picking weeds.

France is the most sustainable county in the world when it comes to food. Thanks to the country’s ardent fighting of food waste, acceptance, and adherence of healthy lifestyles, and their approach to sustainable agriculture, they’ve nabbed the crown for this year’s Food Sustainability Index … an accolade that they won last year as well.

New food innovations are popping up everywhere – from food grown in shipping containers in Nigeria’s capital to sustainable supply chain solutions like insect-based animal feed to a grocery store model that increases low-cost food access while reducing waste. Despite lagging investment in food tech, which represents just one-tenth of health tech investments since 2010, intrepid entrepreneurs are scaling bold new ventures that are redefining sustainable business in the food sector.

Members of an organic supply chain integrity task force have developed best management practices (BMP) guide to prevent organic fraud. Speaking at the Organic & Non-GMO Forum, Gwendolyn Wyard, vice president of regulatory and technical affairs at the Organic Trade Association (OTA), gave an update on the guide and other initiatives to address fraud in the organic industry.

The 2018 Farm Bill was passed by the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 87-13. The next move is that the legislation heads to the House for a vote — and then if it passes there, it goes to President Trump to be signed into law. It is expected to face no significant challenges.